


Stuck on Lace

by Anayume



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 1990s, Birthday, Christmas, Contests, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Harry Potter References, Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, Magic, New Year's Eve, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-12 18:46:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12966015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anayume/pseuds/Anayume
Summary: It's 1990, and Hogsmeade local Lacey Douglass is finally heading into her sixth year at Hogwarts. Joined by her roommate and neighbor Margaret Campbell, she's ready to embark on her sixth year of school and seventeenth year of life. Lacey and Margaret's other close friend, Roy McCabe, is excited to see them too, and eager to have a year that unfolds just like the previous one: time with his close friends, and time with his many suitors. Lacey, tired of Roy rambling about his love life, tends to brush him off when he begins to talk about it. Is she truly just tired of it, or is there an underlying reason as to why Lacey is sick of Roy's routine? What if Roy had a secret he's never told Lacey? And on top of this, the House Heads are hosting a competition for any house to snag a chance at one hundred extra points at the end of Christmas break.





	1. Hide and Seek for House Points, Apparently

               "That’s not fair!” whined Bryce Douglass, snatching the playing card that bore the two of hearts on it from the ground between he and his sister and returning it to his hand.

Lacey sighed softly, looking at her little brother with as much patience as she could muster.

               “We’ve been over this,” she explained. “Three is higher than two, so my three of clubs beats your two of hearts.”

               “Not if the twos are wild!” He waved the card furiously.

               “But they aren’t.” Lacey spoke through gritted teeth. “Not when I play _War_ anyway.”

               “Fiiiiine!” Bryce threw his card at his sister. “Muggle games are stupid.”

               “Kids!” Lacey and Bryce’s mother’s voice rang throughout the house. “You really ought to get going. The train will be arriving soon.”

               Lacey cringed at the word _‘kids.’_ She was turning seventeen in a matter of months, thank you very much. That would make her a full-fledged adult in the Wizarding World. She wished her mother would save the baby talk for her younger brother Bryce, who was merely twelve.

               “We’ll leave in a minute!” Lacey called back. She then turned to her brother. “Quick - let’s count cards and see who won.”

               Lacey and Bryce each removed one card at a time from their decks and set it down into their own independent piles.

               “Twenty-eight,” announced Bryce as he slammed his final card onto his bedroom floor.

               “Twenty-four,” grumbled Lacey as she placed her final card upon her stack.

               “I won!” Bryce stood, beaming.

               “That’s right, you did,” replied Lacey matter-of-factly. “So, before you complain next time, count your cards first. Always remember that, no matter what situation you’re in.”

               “Huh? When else am I gonna have to remember that, Lay?” Bryce scratched the top of his head.

               “You’ll understand when you’re older.” She ruffled her brother’s hair as she stood from the floor. “Now, hurry and clean this up and grab your trunk. We can’t be late.”

               Lacey made her way out of her brother’s bedroom and into her own, which was just down the hall. She quickly slipped into her Hogwarts robes, which bore a Slytherin crest over the heart. She then stood her trunk up on its bottom and tied her green and silver necktie neatly around her neck before meeting her brother and mother by the door to leave.

               “Margaret is probably already waiting at the station for us.” She glanced at her younger brother and smirked. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing _Hufflepuff_ robes in this house.”

               “Come on, Lay!” Bryce stamped his foot. “You teased me enough last year.”

               “It’s a new year now, so I get to start fresh.” Lacey snickered.

               “Lacey!”

               “Don’t provoke him,” Mrs. Douglass intervened.

               “I’m only kidding. Relax.” She patted her younger brother on his back. “I’ll try not to _badger_ him too much this year.”

               Bryce groaned.

               “Now, let me take a picture of the two of you,” Mrs. Douglass requested, raising a camera that she had been holding down by her waist.

               Lacey rolled her eyes. She never felt the need to be overly sentimental. If something was important enough, she wouldn’t need a token to remember it. She stood still and looked reluctantly into the camera.

               “It wouldn’t kill you to smile, Lacey,” Mrs. Douglass teased, and she lowered her camera until her daughter plastered a sarcastic grin over her hard expression. She snapped a few photos before beginning to wipe her eyes. “Your father would have been so proud to see the both of you tonight.” She placed a hand on her chest and gave her kids a wistful smile.

               “ _Mum!_ ” Lacey moaned.

               “I’m sorry.” Mrs. Douglass sniffled. “I can’t help it. Now off you go, both of you. You can’t be late to the feast because of silly old me.” She pulled her children into a tight embrace. “I love you both so much. So, so much. Have a wonderful start to your year. Soak in all the knowledge you possibly can!”

 _A Ravenclaw through and through,_ thought Lacey as her mother stepped back to look at the pair of them once more.

               “Love you, mummy!” Bryce’s smile could have been the light on a lighthouse. He turned the doorknob and pushed the front door open.

               Lacey kissed her mother on the cheek.

               “Love you too, mum.” She followed her brother out the door. The two of them walked toward Hogsmeade station with haste. When they were but a few minutes away from home, a high pitched voice suddenly rang out from behind them.

               “Lacey!”

               Lacey stopped in her stride and promptly turned on her heel. Her best friend and neighbor Margaret Campbell was sprinting toward the pair of them, her school robes and hip-length hair billowing in the nighttime breeze, her green and silver tie slightly askew, and her freckled face a deep shade of crimson.

               “Margie,” Lacey addressed her friend, who was now hunched over in front of her, practically gasping for breath, “I thought you’d already be at the station by now. Oh, come on now, you’ve hardly run far.”

               “So, you decided to assume instead of stopping by my house for me?” Margaret panted. “It’s _tradition!_ Besides, we all know what happens when we _assume_.”

              Lacey raised an eyebrow at Margaret's final comment. “Sorry then. We thought we were running late.”

               “Tradition’s more important. Now come on! We’ve got to hurry!”

               Lacey and Bryce commenced walking at their brisk pace, now with Margaret at their side.

               “I wonder how Roy’s been doing all summer,” pondered Margaret. “He hasn’t written a single word.”

               “He didn’t write much, not even to me." Lacey tightened her ponytail. “From what I heard though, his mum made a big deal about him failing the Transfiguration O.W.L., so she made him work a muggle job. I finally got a letter from him about two nights ago.”

               “That’s torture!” Margaret clapped a hand over her mouth.

               “Yeah,” Lacey snickered. “Apparently he was scooping ice cream in a parlor somewhere. So, needless to say, he told me he’ll be studying extra hard this year.”

               “Oh, that’ll be a sight,” giggled Margaret. “Roy with a book.”

               “Right, and I’m sure all the girls will be falling over him even more this year because of it too.”

               The three of them came to a halt when they found themselves at Hogsmeade station. Several other children and teens, some with their families, stood in wait for the arrival of the Hogwarts Express, wearing their school robes proudly. A slight rumble beneath their feet signaled the approach of the locomotive.

               “We were right on time!” cheered Bryce with a petite jump for joy.

               “I’m glad we made it,” breathed Lacey. “We really cut it close.”

               The Hogwarts Express came to a eased into a stop. In the distance, Lacey spotted Hagrid, the gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, approaching the platform. The lantern he had been carrying appeared very tiny in his gigantic hands. A moment passed, and Lacey caught herself holding her breath in anticipation. The train doors opened, and students came pouring out onto the platform. Lacey scrutinized the crowd, drowning out Hagrid’s beckoning for all of the first-year students to follow him. Finally, she saw it. A neat head of blond hair combed neatly to the left, and a smile that gleamed brighter than the light on the front of the Hogwarts Express.

               “ _Roy!_ ” bellowed Margaret with a monstrous wave. “Roy McCabe - over here!”

               Roy turned toward Margaret’s voice and beamed at the sight of his friends. He pushed through a few third-years to reach them quickly.

               “Don’t bruise the poor kids,” Lacey chuckled when Roy stood before her.

               “Builds character, Lacey Lace." Roy gave a mischievous grin, then placed a hand atop Bryce’s head. “Have you gotten taller over the summer, lad?”

               “I hope so!” squealed Bryce.

               “I think you have,” Roy assured him.

               “Ooh, Lay, I think I see Calvin,” said Bryce excitedly. “Um... bye!”

               “Bye, nugget.” Lacey patted her brother on the back as he tore off into the crowd as though he had been flung away by a slingshot.

               “You didn’t think you could run off and lose us, did you, Roy?” a sweet feminine voice came from over the sixteen-year-old’s shoulder.

               “Whoops, my fault, Darcy. I saw the girls and got excited.”

               “Excited for us? Wow,” Lacey feigned flattery. “We’re not chopped liver, Margie!”

               She then set her eyes on the two ladies that had joined them. The pair of stunning seventh-year girls stood smiling at Lacey, Margaret, and Roy. Their perfect posture, like their faces, was identical.

               “Oh hush,” chuckled Roy.

               “You can all catch up at the feast,” seethed the more stern-faced of the twins. “Come on, I’m starving.”

               “Yes, mum - I mean, Tara,” teased Roy.

               Lacey, Margaret, Roy, and Darcy all giggled as the group proceeded toward the horseless carriages, which lead them all to what would be their home for the duration of the school year: Hogwarts castle.

               After all of the (visibly nervous) first-year students were sorted into their houses, the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, stood to speak.

               “Now that we’re all sorted, let me say welcome to Hogwarts.” He paused for a brief moment to readjust his half-moon spectacles. “Welcome to Hogwarts,” he repeated with a childish grin. “I’d like to keep this short and sweet. This year, don’t be afraid to let it be a remarkable one. Be your truest self. Embrace your friends. Welcome change, and fiercely feast upon knowledge. I do hope you will hang onto that as the year progresses. However, speaking of feasts, let the feast begin!”

               Suddenly, the empty plates upon each of the house tables became filled with mass amounts of food. Lacey didn’t know whether to dig into the steak or the roasted chicken, so she placed a bit of both onto her plate before piling on a mountain of mashed potatoes.

               “Oh, would you get that sour look off your face?” Roy nagged his sister Tara as he cut himself a hearty slice of steak-and-kidney pie. “It’s been seven years. You’d think you’d be able to handle being in a different house than Darcy by now.”

               “Says you,” Tara huffed between forkfuls of chicken. “You wouldn’t understand.”

               “S’pose not,” Roy shrugged, as he typically did when it came to his sisters’ complaints. “I haven’t got a twin.”

               “So how _is_ our working man, then?” Lacey prodded between sips of pumpkin juice.

               She could sense that Roy wanted to deviate the conversation from his sister’s pains by how his eyes wouldn’t stop shifting around the Great Hall as if he could spot a new, more favorable topic to discuss among the sea of food, beverage, and floating candles. Lacey figured she could replace the subject with Roy’s own discomfort with impunity because he had failed to keep in touch for the majority of the summer. Roy quickly averted his gaze from one of the candles above them, and, instead, glowered at Lacey.

               “Very funny.” He squinted his eyes.

               “But I’d really love to know.” Lacey smirked. “You didn’t write to tell me about it, so I’ve just been on the edge of my seat for _months_ , wondering what my dear friend Roy was getting into all summer long.”

               “Oh, of course,” Roy's words dripped with equal amount of sarcasm. “I’m sure you were. Well, it was awful. The end.”

               “You know I won’t let you off that easily. Give us those juicy details, won’t you?”

               Margaret pushed out her lower lip and looked longingly at Roy.

               “Fine.” Roy shifted in his seat. “I had to wake up every morning at half-eight to open the shop around nine. Who wants custard at nine in the morning?! We never saw anybody ‘til the afternoon. We spent every morning cleaning the place top to bottom. Windows, glass, sweeping, the whole lot. Every damn morning. Except the weekends. On Fridays, I worked nights. The kids always wanted the adult size, and their parents never allowed them. Then they’d start fussing about it. Sometimes, they’d just leave without making a purchase as some sort of punishment to the kid for making a scene in the shop. We always just thought that was a waste of time. But I came home smelling like milk, and that was enough to drive me crazy. Satisfied?”

               “That’ll do,” approved Lacey, taking a bite of her chicken.

               “You poor thing,” Margaret tittered.

               Lacey went ahead a helped herself to some pumpkin pasties.

               “Oh, Roy,” she began, and she fought her hardest to keep a straight face, “so sorry, but could you please pass the milk?”

               Tara suddenly busted out in guffaws. Roy sat staring at Lacey, his face beet red. She had never seen it glow in that shade before.

               “Well, go on,” coaxed Tara, wiping her eyes.

               Roy reluctantly reached a handful of centimetres to his left and grabbed the golden pitcher containing milk and placed it harshly in front of Lacey.

               “Actually, never mind,” Lacey changed her mind, gently biting her lower lip to quell a fit of giggles. “I’m fine.”

               Tara roared once again. “Oh, Lacey, I’ve missed you.”

               Roy scratched the back of his head. “Good one,” he grunted.

               After the feast came to a close and Dumbledore reminded the students to get a good night’s sleep and to pick up their class schedules in the morning at breakfast, it was time for each house to head to its respective common room. Lacey and Roy stood as Dumbledore finished his speech.

               “See you soon,” whispered Lacey to Margaret as she and Roy went to join the rest of the prefects at the entrance to the Great Hall.

               A symphony of _“All Slytherin first-years, come this way! Follow us to your common room!”_ erupted as Roy and Lacey joined their fellow prefects. When all of the newest additions to the house of Slytherin were gathered and ready to embark on their first journey through the castle, all of the prefects began to march toward the dungeons.

               The first-years oohed and ahhed as they stepped into the common room. Lacey had been used to the green lamps and furniture, the leather sofas, and the decorative tapestries by now. After showing the first years to their dormitories, Lacey reentered the common room to find Margaret and Roy patiently waiting for her. She gave them a small grin.

               “Want to get ourselves set up?” Lacey asked Margaret.

               “Sure,” Margaret assented, running over to Lacey’s side.

               “Catch you at breakfast,” Lacey waved to Roy.

               “G’night.” Roy waved in return and turned away toward the boy’s dormitories.

               “You were a bit hard on him tonight,” stated Margaret as she and Lacey entered their room.

               “Well, he shouldn’t have forgotten to write all summer,” Lacey reasoned, and she sat down on her bed. “It’s only fair.”

               “True,” Margaret agreed, pulling back her duvet and settling down upon her bed.

               “I wonder if he’ll be as reckless as he was last year,” Lacey wondered aloud.

               “Dunno.” Margaret tugged her hair into twin braids that fell to her hips. “I just hope we don’t have to play nice with any more Gryffies for his sake.”

               Lacey released a sigh and slipped underneath her covers. “Honestly. Eh, g’night. I’m knackered.”

               “Goodnight, Lacey.”

               The two girls pulled their bed curtains closed.

 

#

 

               The next morning, Lacey and Margaret compared their class schedules as they enjoyed the very first breakfast of their sixth year at Hogwarts. Lacey helped herself to some scrambled eggs and bacon as she and Margaret prepared for the day.

               “We’ve got the whole first half of the day together!” Margaret celebrated.

               “Oh thank god - I don’t have to hear Professor Binns drone on in my lonesome,” Lacey laughed.

               “Where’s Roy?” Margaret questioned. "We’ve got to go in five minutes. You’d think he’d want to be here. We always have breakfast on the first day.”

               “Yeah, you’d think.” Lacey raised an eyebrow. “Speak of the devil...”

               Roy came strolling through the Great Hall with a grin plastered on his face and his book bag slung over his shoulder.

               “Good morning, ladies." Roy slid onto the bench next to Lacey.

               “Morning!” Margaret greeted him.

               “Well you’re positively glowing,” Lacey observed. “I can only imagine why you’re late,” she added sarcastically.

               “What do you mean?” Roy inquired, though the expression on his face suggested that he knew the answer to his own question. “I just ran into someone in the common room.”

               “Someone?” repeated Lacey. “You mean your next victim?”

               “She didn’t seem like a victim to me.” He continued to grin at Lacey and Margaret.

               “Anyway,” Lacey rolled her eyes, “we’ve got to get to class.”

               “But we always have breakfast together on day one,” protested Roy. “We haven’t even compared our class schedules.” Immediately as he removed his schedule from his pocket and unraveled it, Lacey snatched it and skimmed it.

               “Well we’ve got the whole second half of the day together,” she deadpanned. “I’ll see you then. Come on, Margie.”

               Margaret stood from the Slytherin table and followed Lacey out of the Great Hall.

               “See you later, Roy,” she offered sweetly as she shuffled away behind Lacey. “Why didn’t you want to eat with him?” she asked turned toward the staircases. “You really don’t care about traditions, do you?”

               “Not particularly, no,” Lacey confessed plainly. “There’ll be plenty more breakfasts this year we can all eat together. I just didn’t feel like spending my first morning hearing him gloat. I’d just lose my appetite.”

               “That’s fair.”

               Their first class of the day was Charms, which was held in a smaller classroom on the third floor of the castle. Despite her tendency to ignore sentimentality, a twinge of nostalgia sparked within Lacey as she entered the classroom. Three rows of desks all faced the Professor Flitwick’s high-backed upholstered chair which sat behind a table between two large blackboards. Lacey, Margaret, and the rest of the Slytherin students sat to the left of the teacher’s table, and the Gryffindor students sat to the right of it.

               “Good morning, class!” the tiny Professor Flitwick beamed at them from atop his tall chair.

               “Good morning, Professor Flitwick,” the class repeated back to him.

               “I’m so excited to start a whole new year of Charms with all of you! Now that you’re sixth years, we’ll be dipping into some more advanced spells, so let’s get started right away. This morning we’ll be practicing a Confundus Charm. Is there anyone here who might know what that is?”

               Margaret slowly raised her hand.

               “Ah yes, Miss Campbell.”

               “It’s a confusion charm,” stated Margaret.

               “That it is,” an excited Flitwick concurred. “Ten points to Slytherin.”

               Lacey saw Margaret smile in the corner of her eye.

               “Now,” continued Flitwick, “we have a very kind volunteer this morning to help show you the effects of the Confundus Charm.”

               At his words, Mr. Filch entered the classroom, looking as grumpy as ever.

               “Mr. Filch here is going to attempt to write the alphabet on the blackboard. I am going to say the incantation - _Confundo_ \- and, if done right, he will become confused, and not be able to make any sense of what he’s writing. Are you ready, Mr. Filch?”

               “Aye,” Mr. Filch consented, snatching a piece of chalk.

               “Fantastic!” Flitwick clapped his hands together. “Go right ahead.”

               Mr. Filch began to scrawl the letters of the alphabet onto the blackboard on the Gryffindor side of the classroom. When he reached the letter G, Professor Flitwick charmed him.

               “ _Confundo!_ ”

               Mr. Filch gave a sudden shudder.

               “Did you see that?” Flickwick pointed at Mr.Filch. “He shivered. That’s how we know he’s been Confunded, since the spell carries no light and no sound.”

               As Mr. Filch went to continue the alphabet, instead of continuing in order, he began to write numbers (not to mention that he started writing diagonally), and then the numbers turned into random squiggles and slashes. Giggles broke out all over the classroom.

               “I’m just going to let him finish,” said Flitwick. “The charm shouldn’t last very long - ten minutes at most. As you can see, he’s completely lost track of what he had originally set out to do. The charm has completely fogged up his brain so that it cannot process information correctly. When he’s all done, we’ll get to practicing.”

               After classes, all of the house prefects were expected to attend their very first meeting of the school year. Lacey and Roy sat in the Great Hall at their respective table as the house heads addressed them all.

               “This semester, we’ll be doing things a little differently,” explained Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor house. “We’ve decided to hold a contest to give any house an opportunity to earn an extra one-hundred house points. There are Hogwarts crests hidden all over the castle and castle grounds - some can be easily spotted, whereas others will require a keener eye. The winner will be chosen after the Christmas holiday.”

               “The rules are as follows,” chimed in Professor Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff house. “No rule breaking in order to find the crests. That means no sneaking around at night or skipping class to find them. If you break any rules, you will be disqualified, therefore making it harder for your house to win. Only prefects can touch the crests. They will disappear at your touch and award a tally to your house as they crumble. I think that’s everything, yes?”

               “Yes,” blinked Professor Snape, the head of Slytherin house. Professor Flitwick, the head of Ravenclaw house, nodded at his side.

               “Then it’s settled,” proclaimed Professor McGonagall. “The competition begins now. You are dismissed.”

               All of the prefects stood together at the very moment they were permitted to do so. As Lacey and Roy made their way out of the Great Hall, he spoke.

               “Well that’s kind of stupid,” joked Roy. “Hide and seek for house points? What’s this school coming to?”

               “Hide and seek for house points, apparently,” Lacey shrugged. “We’ll win though,” she added adamantly.

               “Sure will,” agreed Roy.


	2. Burnt Cookies and Golden Lace

               Autumn fell over Hogwarts, speckling the school grounds in hues of orange and red as October arrived. Lacey and Roy sat on a sofa in the common room; she penned a Charms essay while he studied for a History of Magic exam.  
               “Well," huffed Roy as he tossed his textbook aside, “that’s all the Goblin Wars I can handle for one night.”  
               “At least you managed a whole fifteen minutes,” teased Lacey.  
               “Yeah, whatever. Sorry I was late by the way. Meredith, from Defence Against the Dark Arts, kept bugging me to help her with her Herbology homework all day.” He packed his textbook into his book bag.  
               “Herbology homework, right,” repeated Lacey sarcastically.  
               “Well,” a smirk crept onto Roy's face, “there _was_ a point when she didn’t want to do Herbology homework anymore...”  
               “Well, congratulations,” deadpanned Lacey. “Good for you.”  
               “Thank you.” Roy sat tall on the cushion beside her. “And what about you? How’s your love life going?”  
               Lacey rolled her eyes. She didn’t particularly want to deal with another year full of Roy’s ramblings about his conquests, especially when she was trying to concentrate on her homework. The sooner her work was done, the sooner she could go to bed, and now he had the nerve to drag her love life into the open?  
               “Oh, very funny of you.” Her eyes squinted.  
               “What?” Roy was perplexed. “I genuinely want to know.”  
               “It’s non-existent, thanks.” Lacey felt her chest tighten, though she did her very best to ignore it.  
               “I’m sorry,” Roy apologized, “but hey, when someone does come along, you’ll have to make sure I give him the Roy stamp of approval, yeah?” He chuckled.  
               Lacey cracked a smile. “I don’t know which is funnier: you thinking that your approval means anything, or that you think that day is soon approaching.”  
               “They’re just intimidated by a strong, smart girl like you,” Roy explained, and Lacey couldn’t tell if he kidding or not.

               “Otherwise they’d be dropping like flies, I tell you.” He shifted his focus onto settling his book bag onto his lap and fiddling with one of the zippers.  
               “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Lacey gave him a weak smile  
               “You should.” Roy’s eyes met hers once more, and a grin swept across his face.  
               Lacey said nothing, and returned to her Charms essay until she turned in for bed.

#

               Hallowe’en crept into the halls of Hogwarts, and it was finally time for the annual feast. Lacey, Roy, and the other prefects had spent the entire afternoon decorating the Great Hall for the occasion. Lacey wasn’t sure why the prefects had been called upon, apart from the typical excuse of “building character” when the teaching staff was perfectly capable of decorating for the welcome feast on their own. Surely fixing jack-o-lanterns and some orange streamers in the air couldn’t be more difficult than a thousand candles?  
               When it was time for the feast, Lacey, Margaret, and Roy all sat together to fill their stomachs with sweets. Lacey cut herself a rather large slice of carrot cake. Roy seemed to be sampling everything, filling his plate with handfuls of candy, a slice of cake, and even an apple. Margaret sucked away on a lollipop the size of her head and washed it down with pumpkin juice. While Lacey was poured herself another goblet of juice, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. When she whipped her head around (smacking Roy hard in the face with her ponytail), she spotted Bryce standing behind her.  
               “Lay, I need your help,” nagged Bryce, his brow furrowed and his eyes wide.  
               “Yeah? With what?” questioned Lacey, hoping it wasn’t an essay.  
               “These two Slytherin boys keep picking on me.” Bryce crossed his arms against his chest. “Can you tell them you’ll take points away if they don’t stop?”  
               Lacey raised an eyebrow. “Have you tried sticking up for yourself?” She suppressed a smirk.  
               “Uh, yeah,” Bryce was defensive. “They’re resentless.”  
               “The word is relentless,” Lacey corrected him. “Instead of threatening them with ‘my sister’s a prefect!,’ maybe try to fight your own battles first.”  
               “If that doesn’t work, we’ll step in,” chimed in Roy between bites of apple.  
               “Thanks, Roy,” said a bashful Bryce.  
               “You’re welcome,” answered Lacey curtly. “I just think it’s important that you learn to defend yourself, _Huffle-Bryce_.”  
               “I’m gonna lose my appetite,” mumbled Bryce, and he strode quickly away from the Slytherin table.  
               Roy chuckled. “Tough love, Lacey Lace.”  
               “He’s in Hufflepuff,” Lacey reasoned with a smirk. “It’s the least I could do.”  
               “But if there are little relentless bullies in our house, we’ll shut it down,” declared Roy.  
               “Sure will,” Lacey agreed, and she slipped another forkful of carrot cake into her mouth.  
  
                                                                                                                                                      #

               The day had finally come! As it was November 16th, Lacey was to turn seventeen years old today and officially become a full-fledged adult in the Wizarding World. She was greeted in the morning by a loud shuffling sound by her bed. Lacey sat up slowly to see Margaret tearing up her side of the room with a quizzical look on her face.  
               “Have you lost something?” Lacey moaned. _What a wake-up call_ , she thought with a yawn.  
               “Oh it’s my notes!” cried Margaret with her head stuck under her bed, her voice muffled. “For Charms class! It’s everything from the start of the semester. I can’t have lost them!”  
               “Did you leave them in the common room?” grumbled Lacey. “You dozed off studying last night.”  
Margaret’s face lit up. “You’re right! I’ll go check! Thank you!” She began to sprint out of their dormitory before quickly turning around and saying, “And Happy birthday, Lace!”  
               “Thanks, Margie,” Lacey gave her a weary grin and rubbed her eyes.  
               Despite the odd start to her morning, Lacey had a relatively normal day. As she and Roy made their way back toward the common room from supper that evening, the sight of young Bryce sprinting toward them stole their attention. _Ah, has he finally come to say ‘Happy Birthday?’_ thought Lacey, but her pondering turned to concern once she could see his face more clearly. Her little brother was bleeding from his nose, and one of his eyes was beginning to swell.  
               “Bryce?” gasped Lacey. “Bryce, what's happened?”  
               “I told you they wouldn’t stop!” sobbed Bryce.  
Roy immediately dropped his book bag and darted down the hallway toward the two small boys who had begun to race away once he and Lacey had arrived on the scene. Lacey crouched down and scooped her brother into an embrace.  
               “I’m sorry I didn’t take you more seriously.” She lightly patted his upper back.  
               “I fought back with words, so they fought back with... everything else,” Bryce sniffled.  
               “I see that now, nugget. Let’s get you to Madame Pomfrey.” She draped an arm around him as she stood.  
               “Okay,” agreed Bryce, and the pair of them made their way to the hospital wing.  
               After having dropped off Bryce, Lacey spotted Roy sitting in the hallway across from the entrance to the hospital. He stood immediately at the sight of her.  
               “How is he?” inquired Roy, approaching her.  
               “He’ll be alright,” Lacey sighed. “I don’t know why anyone would want to hurt Bryce. He’s the sweetest boy.”  
               “I don’t know either,” growled Roy, “but those kids won’t be hurting anyone else ever again. They picked on the wrong kid.”  
               “Hope you didn’t kill them,” Lacey snickered as they walked back to the common room.  
               “No,” Roy chuckled, “I didn’t. I’d lose my badge that way. But they lost fifty points each. I’d take more because Bryce is like a little brother to me, but that’s the highest we’re allowed.”  
               Lacey was taken slightly aback. This was a light in which she wasn’t used to seeing Roy. If ever he was angry, it was usually because of something that had directly affected himself. He was typically very logical and level-headed when presented with a frustrating situation, but Lacey, for the first time, witnessed Roy being protective.  
               “That’s sweet of you to think of him like that,” noted Lacey, surprising herself, as she had spoken in the warmest tone she had ever heard leave her mouth. She felt her face flush.  
               “We’ll have to do some crest hunting while we’re on duty next week and make up for having to take away points. Anyway,” Roy reached into his pocket as the two of them approached the common room, “it’s your birthday, so let’s not think about that right now.” He then quickly uttered the password to enter the common room. “Serpent tongue.”  
               “Happy birthday!” squealed Margaret at the door, a plate of questionable-looking chocolate chip cookies in her hands.  
               “Thanks,” breathed Lacey, not having expected Margaret to be right at the door.  
               “Made these myself,” proclaimed Margaret, and she shoved the plate into Lacey’s hands. “I know they’re not perfect, but it’s the best I’ve done yet!”  
               Lacey reluctantly bit into one of the cookies. It crunched loudly between her teeth, and the bottom tasted of burnt grease. The unburnt parts, however, were quite buttery and sweet.  
               “Better than last time, that’s for sure,” announced Lacey. “Thanks, Margie.”  
               Margaret beamed, and they all plopped themselves down onto a sofa.  
               “Happy birthday, Lacey Lace,”Roy cooed gently, and he handed her a little black box.  
               “What did you do?” Lacey's lips twitched up into a smile, and her brow furrowed in question.  
               “Just open it.” Roy grinned from ear to ear.  
               Lacey removed the lid from the box, revealing the treasure inside. She was staring at a golden heart pendant embossed with a lace pattern on a thin gold chain.  
               “Aw, I didn’t know you even knew where to buy jewelry,” Lacey joked, but she was actually quite thrilled about it. Last year Roy threw her a homemade card (obviously penned that morning on a piece of spare parchment) and let her pick out a few treats in Honeyduke’s on their annual autumn trip to Hogsmeade.  
               “Ha-ha, very funny,” retorted Roy.  
               “It is beautiful though, really,” admitted Lacey. “Thank you, Roy.”  
               “You’re welcome.”


	3. The Organisation of Evil Buildings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lacey and Roy enjoy a trip to Hogsmeade. She manages to pluck up the courage to ask something of Roy while they search for Hogwarts crests.

              The next day was the annual school trip to Hogsmeade. This day was never as special to Lacey as it was to the majority of the other students, for Hogsmeade was her hometown. She stood in front of her mirror and pulled her hair back into its signature ponytail on the crown of her head. A few shorter strands of her black hair settled in thin wisps on either side of her face. Her eyes then fell on the reflection of the small black box that sat upon her nightstand, and she recalled Roy’s behavior from the previous day: how he’d stuck up for her younger brother and bought her such a lovely birthday gift. She removed the necklace from its box and carefully positioned it on her person before clamping it closed at the base of her neck. She gave her reflection a small grin as she admired the way it looked, and then made her way to meet Roy and Margaret in the common room to make their way to the carriages.

               When Lacey entered the common room, she was surprised to only see Roy standing there, and not Margaret as well.

               “Where’s Margie?” asked Lacey.

               “Good morning to you too,” joked Roy. “You haven’t seen her?”

               “No, I thought she was with you.”

               “Well, she’s ill,” explained Roy. “She told me she’d just run out of the bathroom to apologize that she can’t join us today.” He gave a small chuckle. “I thought she’d be back in bed by now.”

               “Oh, no, she wasn’t,” replied Lacey. “It’s probably just one of those day-long bugs.”

               “Yeah.”

               Lacey and Roy set out for the carriages. Roy was the main reason why Lacey or Margaret would ever bother to go on the Hogsmeade trip. He seemed to think that the village had a unique charm to it, but it all felt so ordinary to the girls. Lacey and Roy climbed into the carriage and sat side by side as it began to progress in the direction of Hogsmeade.

               “Can’t wait for Honeyduke’s,” said an excited Roy. “You can’t get a licorice wand like that anywhere else.”

               “Yeah, you sent me one from Dublin once,” Lacey said, her lips curving upward as she spoke. “It tasted like artificially flavored rubber.”

               “And somehow they still sell out.” Roy cringed, and then he turned and grinned at Lacey. His eyes lit up as he said, “Hey, you're wearing it!”

               “Of course I'm wearing it,” replied Lacey. “I said it was beautiful.”

               “Yeah but I sort of thought you might’ve just been being polite.”

               “Don't be silly,” said Lacey, clutching the golden heart. “I wouldn't wear it if I didn't love it.”

 _Wait, what did I just say?_ Lacey thought to herself. _I do love it, don't I?_

               “Never heard you say that before, Lacey,” observed Roy, who seemed taken aback; Lacey blushed. “Thanks.” He beamed.

               “You're welcome,” she replied awkwardly.

               When they arrived in Hogsmeade, Roy immediately tore off in the direction of Honeyduke’s Sweet Shop. He was like a child when he opened the door. His eyes widened at the sight of the shelves upon shelves of gourmet candy.

               Roy pranced over to the licorice wands and piled ten in his arms while Lacey giggled at his side.

               “What?” he asked with a chuckle.

               “Nothing,” she said shaking her head. “It's just funny to see you like this.”

               “Hey, I just like candy, okay? You can pick out whatever you like. Why don't we grab something for Margaret?”

               “I don't really need anything,” started Lacey, “but Margie always liked those chocolate frogs.”

               “Oh, right! Right.” Roy rushed over toward where the chocolate frogs were on the shelves and snatched up three of them. “Pick something out.”

               “You've done enough for my birthday already,” Lacey reasoned.

               “Who says this is for your birthday?” he asked with an eyebrow raised. “Pick something out,” he insisted, beginning to struggle to hold all thirteen of his items in his arms.

               “Fine,” Lacey finally agreed, deciding to grab a single cauldron cake for herself. “All set?” she asked.

               “I sure am,” he said with a blissful twinkle in his eyes, and he led Lacey over to the back of the cash register queue.

               “Hi, Roy,” came a female voice from beside the queue.

               Lacey turned her head to see a brown-haired, brown-eyed girl decked out in Slytherin colors flashing Roy that unnaturally wide smile she had become accustomed to seeing females give to him. A twinge of an unrecognizable emotion sparked within Lacey’s chest. This girl must not have realized that Lacey was standing with Roy since her place in line was behind him, and not beside him.

               “Oh, hey, Meredith,” replied Roy.

               “Good to, er, see you,” stammered the girl called Meredith, and Lacey did everything within her power to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

               “You too,” answered Roy sweetly.

               Lacey felt her jaw clench as Meredith walked away toward the toffees. Roy paid for his mountain of sweets and walked out of the shop beaming with sugary energy.

               “Are you hungry?” he asked. “We could grab a bite to eat and get a few drinks at The Three Broomsticks if you want.”

 _Who are you today?_ Lacey wondered. “Sure,” she replied as Roy began to lead them in the direction of the pub.

               When they sat themselves down at a table and ordered some food and drinks, Lacey couldn’t seem to stop her mind from racing. _He’s not trying to get into my head, is he? It seems like he’s been extra nice to me lately. Why? He better not be trying to turn me into one of his playthings._ Her heart pounded.

               “Nothing like a fresh butterbeer,” proclaimed Roy, taking a hearty swig of his drink.

               “I prefer my firewhiskey,” stated Lacey, staring down into her goblet.

 _Why can’t I stop thinking about it? I don’t want to be one of his things, I want..._ Lacey gulped down some of her drink, and it lightly burned the back of her throat. She felt her face turn crimson. _No wonder I was so mad that he didn’t write this summer. No wonder I’d want him to shut up whenever he talked about any other girl. No wonder why I actually love this necklace._ She ran her index finger and thumb along the gold chain. _I apparently want my handsome moron friend all to myself_.

               “Oh, so I stopped by to see Bryce today,” began Roy, and he took a bite of his sandwich. “He looks loads better. He should be out by tonight.”

               “Hmm?” Lacey blinked. “Oh, that’s fantastic.” She nibbled on the last of  her chips, her thoughts forming a thick fog in her mind.

               “You alright?”

               “Can't help but worry about the poor lad,” Lacey lied.

               “Oh, he'll be fine,” Roy brushed it off as he finished his butterbeer. “I'll spare him a licorice wand for when he's out.”

               “You’re right.” Lacey forced a smile.

               “Oh hey,” started an excited Roy, “why don’t we go check if the Shrieking Shack is still there?”

               Lacey busted out laughing. “Why do you say that every year? Where is it going to go?”

               “I don’t know,” confessed Roy with a smirk, “but it just looks like it could pick up and walk itself away any day.”

               “Well it was here in August,” claimed Lacey.

               “Yeah, well, that was August,” reasoned Roy as the pair of them stood.

               “Right, of course,” giggled Lacey, and they stepped back outside into the chilly autumn air.

               The Shrieking Shack was just across the way from The Three Broomsticks, so Lacey and Roy only had a handful of metres to walk before it was clearly in their sights.

               “See?” teased Lacey, “Still there.”

               “For now,” said Roy ominously, to which Lacey shook her head in protest. “Think about it... Maybe the place really _is_ alive and is spying for some sort of organisation of evil haunted buildings.”

               “That’s the most ridiculous thing I think I’ve ever heard,” Lacey continued to laugh, and she shivered slightly in the cold. “What would an organisation of evil haunted buildings even be conspiring to do?” she asked.

               Roy leaned closer toward her and whispered into her ear. “It could be watching us right now...”

               Lacey fixed her eyes on the old building, trying to imagine its windows were eyes. Suddenly, Roy wrapped his arms around her waist.

               “Hah!” he huffed in an attempt to frighten her.

               Lacey, to her own surprise, felt herself blush, and she laughed out loud instead of instantly trying to break loose or punching him square in the nose. Normally she would never want her personal space to be invaded, but she actually wished for him to hold on a bit longer. _I’m in trouble_ , she thought as Roy backed away.

               “I’m surprised I’ve still got two good eyes after that,” he joked.

               “For now,” replied Lacey, her lip curling, but her stomach was doing flips. “The Shack saw you.”

               When Roy wasn’t looking, she ran her fingers over her golden heart pendant. That night, after all of the younger students were accounted for, Lacey and Roy split ways for the evening. As Lacey was about to turn in for the night herself, she spotted the Potions Master on his way out of the common room. On a sudden whim, she approached him.

               “Evening Professor,” said Lacey politely.

               “Good evening, Miss Douglass,” replied Professor Snape, turning to face Lacey instead of the doorway.

               “I need a smidge of advice and dunno who else to ask,” she began, “and I saw you, so I thought...”

               “Yes?” asked Snape, sounding somewhat impatient.

               “There’s something bothering me about a stupid friend of mine,” Lacey explained as vaguely as she possibly could. “I’d like for it to go away without having to bring it up. Do you know of anything that might help?”

               Professor Snape looked away from Lacey for a moment as though a memory had flashed before his eyes. He then looked her in the eyes and said, “It won’t.”

               Lacey felt all of her breath escape her, and her brow furrowed. “Then what do I do?”

               “Nothing that you might regret. Is this all then, Miss Douglass?” Snape seemed to be in a hurry to get to back to his office.

               “That’s all, Professor,” answered a defeated Lacey.

               “Goodnight, Miss Douglass.”

               “Goodnight, Professor.”

 

#

 

               It was Lacey’s and Roy’s turn to patrol the halls at night and search for Hogwarts crests. The pair of them strolled through the corridors with their wands illuminated as they scrutinized the walls for hidden crests. While heading up to the second floor, Lacey stopped on the landing. She squinted her eyes and peered into a portrait of a man walking several dogs. Attached to one of the dogs’ collars was a Hogwarts crest instead of a dog tag.

               “Ah-ha!” whispered Lacey in celebration. “I _knew_ they’d be clever and stick some in the paintings. Come have a look, Roy.” She pointed to the portrait that was right at her eye-level. “See?” she asked.

               “Well would you look at that?” said Roy, leaning over slightly to see the hidden crest. “Good looking out, Lacey.” He draped an arm around her shoulders.

               Lacey ignored his touch and pressed her finger onto the crest, which disappeared.

               “Good job!” yelled the man in the portrait. “Good luck to you! Whoooaa, there Cooper, not so fast!” he tugged on one of the several leashes clutched in his fists.

               Lacey turned to face Roy to address him only to find that his face was a mere handful of centimetres from her own. She hadn’t realized how little space there was on the landing, so she turned once more and began to climb the next staircase and turn into another corridor, being sure to keep an eye on the nearby portraits.

               “Make sure you check the portraits,” she urged Roy.

               “You got it,” he replied.

               Silence fell over them as they examined every single crevice and portrait in the hallway around them. _I planned on asking him tonight, didn’t I?_ Lacey thought to herself as she pressed her fingers against a Hogwarts crest that was disguised as a stained glass window.

               “Roy?” beckoned Lacey softly.

               “Yeah?” replied Roy from a few metres away.

               “How would you like to meet me at The Three Broomsticks when I go visit mum this Christmas?” Quickly, she added, “Me and mum. I bet she'll treat.” She instantly wanted to bang her head against the wall for having been too afraid to ask him to meet her alone. She wasn’t going to tell her mother about it either way.

               “On Christmas in the evening, then?” asked Roy.

               “Yeah, Christmas.” Lacey twirled her wand in her fingers. “Between half eight and nine.”

               “Sounds nice.” Roy smiled, and so did Lacey.

               “Mhm,” she agreed, and she spun away from him to continue to search for Hogwarts crests.


	4. The Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Christmas doesn't quite go to plan, Lacey doesn't hold back when it comes to personal justice. Happy new year?

               After Lacey wished her mother a happy Christmas, she eagerly settled in over at The Three Broomsticks around half past eight. Instead of her usual ponytail, Lacey took the time to curl her shoulder-length, black hair into relaxed waves for the evening. She ordered herself a firewhiskey and left the bartender a hefty holiday tip before sitting herself down at a table for two. Her toes tapped against the floor as her eyes watched the door, wondering how long it would be before Roy stepped through it. After slowly sipping down her first firewhiskey, she decided to get herself another.

               “What time is it?” Lacey asked the bartender as she paid for her second drink.

               “It’s about quarter after nine,” answered the bartender as he handed her a second goblet of firewhiskey.

 _9:15?_ thought Lacey, feeling shocked as she plopped herself back down at the table. If Roy didn’t walk through that door before she finished her second drink, she was going home. She kept her eyes glued to the door, her heart skipping a beat each time a patron entered the establishment. She took her time on the firewhiskey, never taking her eyes off of the door. When her second goblet was empty, she stood with a sigh and made her way back to her mother’s so that she could calm down some before returning to Hogwarts.

 

#

 

               Three days later, Lacey woke up to a black screech owl tapping on her window. She expelled a deep sigh as she pulled the window open, allowing the owl to stick out its leg, upon which a tiny scroll had been tied. Lacey carefully removed the parchment and unrolled it open, reading:

 

 

 

 

> _Miss Lacey Douglass,_
> 
> _Your presence is required in the Slytherin common room tomorrow, 31 December, at noon in order to prepare for the New Year’s Eve party taking place in the evening. Neither Miss Campbell nor Mr. McCabe could pinpoint your location, so I thought it best to try to reach you in Hogsmeade. Return to school by tomorrow afternoon._
> 
> _Sincerely,_
> 
> _Professor Snape_
> 
> _Head of Slytherin House_

               With a groan, Lacey crumpled Snape’s letter and tossed it in her bin. She reluctantly headed back to Hogwarts and tried to figure out how she would avoid Roy the following day. As she arrived at the castle, she ran into Professor Snape as she neared the dungeons.

               “Hello, Miss Douglass,” he greeted her. “Tell me. Why were you in Hogsmeade for the last seventy-two hours?”

               “That _idiot_ friend of mine,” Lacey hissed, “skipped out on dinner with me. I didn’t want to face him, or I’d probably kill him or hurt him so badly I’d get expelled.”

               “Is he truly a friend, then?” reasoned the Potions Master.

               “I dunno,” admitted Lacey, her heart sinking.

               “Well,” began Snape, and it looked like he quite possibly nearly smirked, “nobody would cause me such harm and walk away unscathed.”

               Lacey let his words fully seep into her mind before replying simply, “That’s fair. Now, I’m sorry, Professor, but you’ll have to excuse me. I need to get to my dorm before he sees me about the castle.”

               “Yes. Good luck,” said Snape, and the pair of them parted ways.  
               When the hour came on the 31st, Lacey stealthily crept into the common room from the entrance to the girls’ dormitories. She didn’t mind being summoned to decorate so much, however, she didn’t want to face Roy. In her mind, he didn’t even deserve the rage that swelled inside of her when she thought about him. He didn’t even deserve to be thought about in the first place. He’d forgotten about her, so she wanted nothing but to forget about him.

               As she slipped into the common room, she began to tidy up the place while making sure to keep an eye over her shoulder. She hadn’t been able to spot Roy. Was he late for set up duty? She sighed. _Did he forget about this obligation too?_ She certainly wouldn’t be surprised, and most definitely would not volunteer to be the one to run and fetch him for the job. As Lacey moved a sofa to create more space for the party, she felt a pair of hands settle upon her shoulders. She spun around in an instant, finding herself face to face with Roy McCabe.

               “Lacey, I haven’t seen you for _days_ ,” he said, his voice shaking. Worry brewed deep in his eyes. “Where’ve you _been?_ ”

               Instead of screaming, instead of punching him in the chest and cursing, and instead of storming away, Lacey laughed hysterically.

               “Where have _I_ been?” she chortled in contrast to her heart thrashing in anger and heartbreak. “Oh, you’ve got to be joking. It’s been days and you haven’t figured it out? Merlin’s Beard! Roy McCabe: the master of every woman’s mind except his best friend’s! When you figure it out, let me know. I’m dying to hear what you come up with. I truly cannot wait.”

               “No, Lacey, I know why you’re upset - ” he began, but Lacey cut him off.

               “Good.” She grinned up at him. “Sit with that for a while. I’ve helped out enough here.”

               Lacey turned and made her way back toward the girls’ dormitories.

               “I’m sorry!” Roy called after her.

               “Fantastic,” Lacey replied, her back towards him.

               When Lacey reached her dormitory, she slammed the door closed behind her and crossed her arms against her chest. Margaret, who had been penning an overdue Herbology essay on her bed, stood promptly at her friend’s arrival.

               “Lacey? What is it?” Margaret asked cautiously.

               Lacey averted her gaze from Margaret and instead turned her head to focus on the necklace Roy had given her that now sat beside her bed instead of on her neck. With her nose upturned she confessed, “I like Roy.” She felt her lower lip begin to quiver. “And it’s just awful,” she added matter-of-factly.

               “Aw no, Lacey, really?” Margaret groaned, and she pushed her schoolwork aside and rushed over to Lacey. “You know, I had a feeling, but I just wasn’t sure. What happened then?”

               Lacey took a deep breath and tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she walked over and sat on the edge of her bed.

               “I invited him to dinner in Hogsmeade when I went to visit mum, but he was too busy to remember to meet me,” she explained, focusing fiercely on the stitching on Margaret’s duvet in an attempt to not shed any tears. “ He agreed to meet me, but he never showed. I should be happy though, right?” She snickered. “I’m the friend. _We’re_ the friends. We’re not some one-and-done. He actually cares about us... or something. I need to be using this as a reminder that Roy isn’t a boyfriend boy. He’s just Roy, and he’s always gonna be.”

               “You said it before I could,” said Margaret with a crooked smile, and she gave a light giggle. “I really am sorry though, Lacey,” she added.

               “Thanks,” replied Lacey  plainly. “Now I’ve got a stupid party to get ready for.”

               As much as Lacey detested the idea of attending a party that night, as a prefect, she was required to attend. She spent the entire evening ensuring that she was out of Roy’s line of vision. Her efforts only seemed to be important for the first thirty minutes of the event, however, because it did not take long for a female student to begin to cling to him. _Meredith Stanford, of course,_ thought Lacey, and she rolled her eyes.

               “Lacey, you have got to stop,” Margaret whispered in her ear. “You’re not going to feel any better if you keep watching him. He’s just Roy being Roy like he’s always been Roy, remember?” She nudged Lacey with her elbow. “Lacey?”

               “Yeah, I remember,” Lacey grumbled. “I don’t know what I was thinking - inviting him to dinner. I’m an idiot.”

               “No, he’s the idiot,” reasoned Margaret. “He stood _you_ up. He’s going to learn the hard way what the consequences are for that.”

               Lacey’s lips twitched up into a smile as an idea formed in her head.. “Oh, he will,” she said deviously.

               As the night progressed, Lacey and Margaret kept to the corners of the room, eating sweets and checking the time seemingly every fifteen minutes. As much as she tried to avoid it, Lacey couldn’t stop watching Roy and Meredith conversing back and forth.

               “Oh, I nearly forgot!” Margaret blurted out, suddenly standing to her feet. “I’ve got those confetti balls for me, you, and R-... me and you for midnight! I’ve left them in our room. I’ll be right back!”

               Margaret scurried back toward the girls’ dormitories, her long hair flowing like a cape behind her as she raced away. Lacey stood up from her seat and scanned the common room for Roy as Margaret’s and Snape’s words from before echoed in her mind. _“He’s going to learn the hard way what the consequences are for that.” “Nobody would cause me such harm and walk away unscathed.”_ When she spotted him, ignoring the tightness in her chest as she watched Meredith pull Roy toward her until they locked lips, she firmly wrapped her fingers around the base of her wand and raised it. As softly but diligently as she could, she whispered, “ _Confundus._ ”

               Satisfaction rushed over her as she watched Roy shiver, and then immediately begin to trip over every word he attempted to speak. His head was bobbing in all different directions and he kept patting himself like a carnival monkey on his shoulders, hips, and stomach, despite his obvious attempt to glue his hands to his sides. Lacey laughed hysterically as she made her way out of her corner and into the open. She had no reason to hide now that Roy might finally understand that he had consequences to face for his actions (or lack thereof). Roy quickly dashed out of the common room.

               Lacey plopped herself down onto a leather chair by the girls’ dormitories and focused on twirling her wand in her hands. Once she saw Roy return to the party, she’d make her way to bed and tell Margaret that she didn’t need to see the clock strike midnight. She didn’t really see any point in hanging around until then, if she was being honest. Tomorrow might have been the first of January, but it was hardly any different from the thirty-first of December. All that would change was a couple of numbers. Time moved forward every day - there wasn’t any point in glorifying it. _Why am I even bothering to wait for him?_ Lacey asked herself. _Oh, that’s right_ , she scoffed inwardly. _I’m in love with that moron and somehow care whether or not he’s coherent enough to make it back alright, even if it_ is _my fault_. When she looked back up, a furious Roy stood over her.

               “You’re standing a bit close,” Lacey observed. “Could you back up, please?”

               “What’ve you got your wand out for, Lacey?” Roy asked sternly. “It’s a party.”

               “Oh, I dunno, practicing?” Lacey replied, tucking her wand away into a pocket. “I’ve asked you to back up,” she reiterated. “Sorry, are you _confused?_ ”

               “Why the hell would you do that to me?!” Roy seethed.

               “Hmm, I don’t know Roy,” said Lacey as she stood up from the chair. “Maybe I’ve forgotten by now, just like you forgot about The Three Broomsticks.” Before Roy could get a word in, Lacey continued. “Am I kidding you? No, I’m not. You’re _amazing_ , Roy, you truly are. Extraordinarily _magical_. You think you can waltz around the castle and wrap any girl you want ‘round your finger. Maybe I wanted to be the one to have a little fun for a change.” She drew a short breath, and Roy attempted to speak, but Lacey promptly interrupted him.

               “Lacey, do you - ”

               She took a few steps away from him as he was speaking, and spoke with her back toward him. “You’ve probably hurt dozens of girls’ feelings. Do you care? I mean, I don’t really, but at least I can sort of empathize now.” She swallowed hard.

               “What? What do you mean?” Roy’s rage died down in an instant.

               Lacey turned around to face him. “You make girls fall for you, and then you just leave them there on the ground, embarrassed that they ever felt a single thing towards you, wondering why they ever did in the first place. You just leave them on the ground, in the snow... at dinner tables, alone.” She bit down on her tongue in an attempt to quell the sudden urge to cry. “Now, if his highness might excuse me, I’ll be going.”

               Before Roy could protest, Lacey walked rapidly out of the common room, being sure not to wipe away her tears until she was sure that she was out of Roy’s sight. She trudged through the dungeons, up a flight of stairs, and out of a small door that led outside of the castle. To Lacey’s surprise, a heavy downpour of rain hissed through the air all around her. Instead of turning around and risking running straight into Roy, she continued to walk. She had no destination in mind. She simply wanted to be as far away from Roy McCabe as she could be for a long while. However, as she reached the Black Lake, she could hear his voice trailing behind her.

               “Lacey!” Roy called, but she continued stamping away from him. “Oh, come on - _Lacey!_ ”

               Lacey finally turned and faced Roy with her arms crossed tightly against her chest. Her jaw was firmly clenched, and her eyes welled with tears. She swallowed multiple times to prevent the lump in her throat from pushing more of the liquid in her eyes over her lids.

               “That was completely out of line,” proclaimed Roy, standing several yards away from Lacey, flailing his arms as he spoke.

               “Is that why you’ve followed me out into the rain then?” Lacey hollered back, and all of her muscles tensed. “To tell me I was _‘out of line?’_ ”

               “Lacey, look, I’m sorry.” Roy’s tone softened. “Alright? I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have skipped out on you - I _really_ shouldn’t have - but that confundus was completely uncalled for.”

               “So you needed to come and tell me this right now? In the rain? Moments from midnight on New Year’s Eve?”

               Roy’s brow, which had been intensely furrowed, relaxed. “I couldn’t just... leave you all alone outside in the rain. ‘Specially not after what you said.”

               Lacey uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on her hips. “Oh, you couldn’t? And why not? I can handle myself just fine, thank you very much.”

               Roy sighed. “Well, Lacey, in case you haven’t noticed, I _do_ care about you.”

               Lacey scoffed and avoided his gaze. Roy approached her.

               “What, you don’t believe me?” He stood barely a foot away from her now.

               “I don’t know!” Lacey hollered, but before she could say anything else, Roy’s hands cradled either side of her face, and his lips were pressed against her own.

               Her blood pounded loudly in her ears. Before she could allow herself to become immersed in the very kiss she had been longing for, its likelihood of ingenuousness washed away her elation.

               “No! Stop!” Lacey backed several feet away from him. “Dammit, I’ve probably got Meredith Stanford’s saliva all over my lips now.”

               She met eyes with Roy, who looked as though Lacey had punched him in the gut. His hands were frozen in place where they had embraced his best friend’s face. _It’s his pride that’s hurting, not his feelings. He’s not used to rejection._

               “Lacey, I... I meant that,” Roy’s voice shook. “It wasn’t part of some habit or whatever you think it was. It was real.”

               Lacey rolled her eyes. “Is that what you tell all of the girls? That it’s ‘real?’”

               A harsh silence fell over the pair of them, broken by nothing but the rain splashing intensely onto the ground and into the lake around them. Roy wiped his face with one hand, his earlier shock shifting to frustration. When he allowed his hands to fall at his sides, Lacey noticed that a hue of red had begun to tint his face. Roy focused on his toes. Ignoring his embarrassed state, Lacey spoke.

               “A kiss won’t make it all better,” she explained, and she crossed her arms once again. “I’m not one of your conquests, Roy McCabe.”

               Roy’s head sprung up. “No, of course you’re not! You’re... Lacey.” He frowned, and his hands formed fists at his side; his knuckles turned white. His gaze was fierce but soft at the same time, and he didn’t break eye contact with her. “You’re the most... incredible woman - no - person I have _ever_ known.”

               Lacey felt her jaw loosen, but she refused to allow it to drop. She didn’t want a simple compliment from Roy allow her to fall instantly under his spell. She refused to become his next toy.

               “Am I?” she asked, suppressing a smirk from forming on her face.

               “Yes. A-absolutely,” Roy stammered adamantly.

               “So why hop from girl to girl then?”

               “I never really gave it much thought,” Roy explained, and he scratched the back of his head. “It was always sort of something that just happened. Usually a girl would try to give something a go and I’d bite, but it was never more than that - just living in a moment.”

               “Oh I see,” Lacey began sarcastically, “so playing with girls’ feelings was just something to do in your spare time?”

               “Obviously not,” argued Roy, and he began to shiver. “We’d just be talking and the next thing I knew she’d want to do more than talking. I don’t know why that’s how it always went, but that’s never what I wanted with you. I actually know you. I _have_ known you. I’ve wanted something more for a... a _while_ , but I never thought I ever stood a chance. You’re my Lacey Lace after all.” He chuckled and shivered once more. “There’s always been a layer of - of respect, or...” He swallowed.

               “Or...?” Lacey baited.

               Roy spoke softly, practically under his breath. “Intimidation...”

               Lacey’s mind and heart raced a mile a minute. Despite everything, she was inclined to believe him. Perhaps all it took was for him to realize he had a chance with the one woman he actually wanted to give attention to for his seemingly everlasting line of ladies to finally cease to be.

               “You do understand why it’s hard for me to believe you right now, right?” asked Lacey, finally dropping her hands to her sides.

               “I do,” said Roy softly. “I do. I have never been more sorry for anything in my entire life than missing dinner with you on Christmas, Lacey. It was Margaret I was stuck with. She made me a puzzle for Christmas. She was so proud of it, so we started it together, and I ended up completely losing track of the time. I’m just _so_ sorry.”

               “I can’t forgive you yet,” Lacey admitted, although she was relieved that it was Margaret who’d caused Roy to forget the time rather than Meredith. “It’ll take some time.”

               “It should,” Roy agreed. “I don’t deserve it right now.”

               Lacey found herself nestling her head into Roy’s chest. To her surprise, his heart was pounding loudly, which, in turn, gave hers a jumpstart. _He wasn’t lying..._ He wrapped his arms around her tightly and held onto her for a moment before speaking once more.

               “Now let’s get out of this rain,” Roy practically whispered, and he let her go.

               “Alright,” agreed Lacey, and the pair of them headed back to the dungeons.

               When they returned to the party, a frazzled Margaret approached them, her arms flailing between words.

               “Where on Earth were you two?” she asked. “Why are you sopping wet?”

               The crowd in the common room began to count backwards from ten as the new year approached.

               “Oh, nevermind,” huffed Margaret. “Tell me later,” she added, looking directly at Lacey.  She then handed each of them a ball of confetti that looked as though it was bound together by magic. “Here you are.”

               Lacey gave a shiver as the confetti ball hit her palm. She wanted so badly to change out of her wet clothes, but she was also relieved that, instead of watching Roy ring in the new year with Meredith, he was with the two women closest to him.

               “3, 2, 1, happy new year!” screamed the partygoers, and Lacey, Margaret, and Roy all tossed their confetti balls into the air as the clock struck midnight.

               The confetti balls burst into a shower of colour over the three of them, and Margaret glowed with excitement as it rained down on top of them. Lacey turned and looked at Roy, who had draped an arm around her shoulders. He grinned at her as if he’d made a wish on his confetti ball and it came true as it burst. Lacey pulled him in for an embrace.

               “Happy new year, Lacey Lace,” said Roy softly in her ear.

               “Happy birthday, moron,” retorted Lacey, and she smirked at him as they parted. Lacey then turned around to hug Margaret. “Happy new year.”

               “Happy new year!” Margaret celebrated, squeezing Lacey tight despite the fact that she was soaking wet. She then threw her arms around Roy. “Happy new year ‘n’ birthday!”

               “Happy new year,” Roy repeated with a chuckle.

               Lacey spotted the Potions Master by the common room door, standing alone. She shuffled through the crowd to reach him.

               “Happy new year, Professor,” said Lacey.

               “Same to you,” replied Snape. “Good luck with _all_ of your endeavors this year, Ms. Douglass.”

               “Thank you. Same to you, Professor.”

               Snape gave Lacey a nod and then slipped out of the common room. House bias aside, Snape had certainly become Lacey’s favourite professor over the course of the year. Despite her being merely a student, he took the time to extend kindness to her, and that meant a lot to Lacey. The next morning, Lacey awoke in a slight shock as the image of her and Roy arguing in the rain flashed before her eyes. She groaned loudly and stuffed her face into her pillow.

               “Good morning,” sung Margaret from her bed.

               “Morning,” grumbled Lacey into her pillow.

               “What is it?” asked Margaret, and she turned to face Lacey.

               “I talked to Roy last night,” explained Lacey, sitting up and mirroring Margaret. “Apparently he’s liked me for a while.”

               Margaret’s lips curved upward and she sat a little taller. “That’s good! Right?”

               “If he’s genuine, yeah,” said Lacey. “I’d rather just stay skeptical to be safe.”

               “That’s fair,” Margaret agreed. “Just let it all play out, love. If he meant it, he’ll show it.” She turned her head toward the window, against which a heavy rain splattered. “Guess we can’t sneak off to Hogsmeade for his birthday in this weather, can we?” she asked.

               “S’pose not,” said Lacey. “We’ll figure something out.” She stood and approached her mirror.

               As Lacey gathered her hair into her signature ponytail, she suddenly remembered the sensation of Roy’s lips pressed against her own. She dropped her hair and traced her plump lips with her fingers, which tingled at the memory. _Did Roy wake up thinking about what happened in the rain too?_ she wondered. She shook the thought from her head. _I don’t want to get my hopes up_. When she was ready for the day, Lacey realized that she needed a cake. Since they couldn’t treat Roy to Honeyduke’s, what was she to do? She knew just who to ask...

               “Morning, Professor,” Lacey greeted the Potions Master in the Great Hall.

               “Good morning, Miss Douglass,” replied Snape. “What do you need?”

               “Er, advice.”

               “Go on.”

               “Well, Margie and I were going to treat our idiot friend to Honeyduke’s for his birthday today, but we can’t really travel there in the rain. Is there a way I could possibly... somehow... order a cake from the kitchens? I’ve got nothing for him otherwise.”

               Snape blinked and drew a breath before replying. “Normally,” he began slowly, “I would wish a student luck and send her on her way... However, I admire your,” he paused as if to choose his next words carefully, “cause, and determination, Miss Douglass. Expect a delivery in the common room at eight o’clock tonight, and do not be late.”

               Lacey beamed, wishing she could throw her arms around Snape in gratitude.

               “Thank you! Thank you!” she squealed before turning around and racing back toward the common room in search of Roy.

               Underneath Snape’s stoic exterior must lay a heart of gold. _He must love someone_ , reasoned Lacey as she entered the common room. To her surprise, Roy wasn’t there. In fact, she couldn’t find him all day! She searched the grounds (despite the rain), the hospital wing (who knows what he could’ve gotten himself into?), checked in the common room and Great Hall multiple times a day, and she even found a Hogwarts Crest in the library when she checked there (as a last resort). Eight o’clock was only a handful of minutes away, and Roy was still missing. What on Earth could he possibly have been doing all day? Hopefully nothing with Meredith... Lacey, with slumped shoulders, returned to the common room to make sure she was on time for Snape’s package. When she walked through the door, Margaret came dashing toward her.

               “Lacey!” she yelled, losing her breath. “Where _have_ you been? Snape’s just walked in with a package for you - why? Anyway, Roy wanted me to give you this.” Margaret extended her arm toward Lacey with a little scroll of parchment clutched in her fist.

               Lacey carefully accepted the scroll from Margaret, her eyes traveling back and forth from the parchment to the large package on the table.

               “Hello to you too,” retorted Lacey, and she opened the scroll. “It says... _‘Hi, Lacey, could you come meet me? I’m up in the north tower where the Halloween decorations are kept. You’ll have to unlock the door. See you soon, I hope. - Roy.’_ ” She looked up at Margaret, whose eyes were likely as wide as hers. “Did you know he was up there?” she asked.

               “No!” breathed Margaret. “He popped the scroll in me book bag and I didn’t see it until after dinner when I went looking for a quill to write to my aunt,” she explained.

               “Ah,” replied Lacey, and she stuffed the parchment into her pocket. “I suppose I ought to go see what he wants then.”

               Margaret lit up. “Yes, you should! Oh, I hope it goes well!” She clapped her hands in excitement.

               Lacey turned on her heel and left the common room once more, this time knowing exactly where to find Roy. She drew a deep breath as she marched to the north tower. When she arrived, she stealthily withdrew her wand and pointed it at the door.

               “ _Alohomora_ ,” Lacey whispered, and the door fell ajar.

               She slipped into the tower and promptly closed the door. When she turned around to walk up the stairs, she was greeted by a sign.

_Hi, Lacey._

_Sorry you couldn’t find me today._

_I was a little busy._

_Keep climbing to find out more._

               Lacey proceeded up the winding staircase. About ten steps further, there was another sign written in Roy’s hand.

_Just a bit further!_

_At least we’re out of the rain._

               As Lacey neared the top of the stairs, there was one more sign.

_Thank you for coming._

               When Lacey reached the tower, her jaw fell open. The room had been transformed. Wherever Roy hid the Halloween decorations, Lacey was completely unsure. Jars of fire of all different colors were strung along the walls. A table dressed in a forest green cloth sat in the centre of the room; a mug of butterbeer and a goblet of firewhiskey sat upon it along with a tray of pumpkin pasties. Roy faced the doorway, leaning half of his weight onto one of the chairs positioned at the table. _Could this all really be an act?_ Lacey wondered, astounded by her surroundings.

               “I think you’re confused about whose birthday it is today,” Lacey joked.

               “I spent all day up here,” stated Roy, sounding as though he’d only just realized that he spent the entirety of his seventeenth birthday isolated in a tower. However, he looked like he was glowing. “I wouldn’t have spent it any other way. I think it’s time that I talk to you seriously about all this.”

               “Well, go on,” said Lacey, “I’m all ears.” She smirked as she pulled out the chair nearest to the firewhiskey and sat cross-legged upon it.

               “I know this doesn’t make up for Christmas,” explained Roy, “but I hope it’s a start.”

               Lacey took another glance around the room. “It’s a start.”

               “Good, good.” Roy scratched the back of his head. “I know words are just words, so I wanted to put this together.” Roy pulled his chair over directly in front of Lacey’s. “I’m gonna cut to the chase,” he said, and a grin crept onto his face, although his fingers seemed to be trembling.

               “Alright,” Lacey replied, her heart rate quickening.

               “I love you, and I’m sorry,” confessed Roy.

               Lacey gave a slight inaudible gasp as a wave of elation rushed over her.

               “Sorry for what?” asked Lacey with a smirk.

               “Christmas, the girls, not making my feelings clear,” Roy explained, and his eyes kept wandering the room but they always landed right back on Lacey’s. “It’s been all year, Lace. You know how bad I felt for not making the time to write this summer when I saw you standing there on the platform?” He scoffed. “I felt a whole summer of missing you all at once when your eyes met mine. Whether or not you’ll have me is entirely up to you - I don’t think I deserve a chance, but I’d like one.”

               Lacey stared at Roy for a moment, his words seeping into her like the rain from the night before. She began to smile as she opened her mouth to respond.

               “Yes.”

               Roy scooped her into a strong embrace, and Lacey clung back, finally without any haunting questions in the back of her mind. He planted a gentle kiss on her cheek, to which Lacey eagerly turned her head. Their lips met, and it felt somewhat like a dream to Lacey. The pair of them couldn’t resist smiling between kisses. When they parted, Lacey spoke.

               “Why don’t we sneak our drinks back to the common room?” she suggested. “I’ve got something for you, and Margie’s been waiting.”

               Roy gave her one more quick kiss before answering. “Alright.”

               He snatched two jars of fire from the wall and extinguished the flames. He then poured their drinks in and fastened the lids tightly in place before storing them in his bag.

               “All set,” said Roy, and he took Lacey’s hand as she stood to leave the tower. As they walked back toward the common room, they found themselves sharing the corridor with Professor Snape. He glanced down at their interlocked fingers and seemed to give a smirk at them.

               “Good evening, Professor,” Lacey greeted him sweetly.

               “Shouldn’t you be in your common room?” asked Professor Snape, and Lacey almost wondered if they were sharing a private joke.

               “That’s where we’re headed,” explained Lacey, being sure to not crack a smile.

               “Hurry along then. Miss Campbell seems to be pitifully worried,” replied Snape, and he continued past them. Lacey could have sworn she saw a genuine grin creep onto his face, but she couldn’t be certain.

               “What an arse,” grumbled Roy as they were out of earshot of the Potions Master.

               “He’s just doing his job,” reasoned Lacey, happy that she was able to grow somewhat closer to their Head of House this year.

               When Lacey and Roy returned to the common room, Margaret, who seemed to have been waiting patiently on a couch for them to arrive, dashed toward them not unlike she had greeted Lacey earlier.

               “There you two are! Aww!” she blushed. “I’m so glad!

               Lacey felt her face begin to burn red. She released Roy’s hand in order to open his package. Margaret and Roy joined her by the table.

               “That’s awfully big,” noted Roy.

               “Happy birthday,” said Lacey as she opened the package.

               To her utmost surprise, it was filled with a variety of specialty sweets. A large chocolate cake with _Happy Birthday_ written on it sat in the middle of an array of treats: licorice wands, chocolate frogs, salt water taffy, and cauldron cakes. A small card was taped to the lid of the package that read: PAID IN FULL. Lacey felt her heart practically skip a beat. Professor Snape really seemed to go out of his way, and she found herself feeling surprisingly sentimental of the moment.

               “Who did all of this?” asked Roy, smiling from ear to ear.

               “I ordered the cake but they must have thrown some extra stuff in,” explained Lacey. She figured that Professor Snape wouldn’t want to be outed for doing such a personal deed. She looked forward to their growing bond in the new year.

               Lacey, Roy, and Margaret spent the night enjoying sweets with one another. The next day at breakfast, Roy and Lacey arrived at the Great Hall holding hands. Now that classes had resumed, the tables were filled with students once more. They proudly strode past the scoreboard for the Hogwarts crest competition, which had Slytherin in first place by four crests. Because they had arrived hand in hand, the school would officially know that they were together now. However, unlike the other girls, this was not planned to be temporary.

 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This story was mainly a writing exercise for me to try and write characters that are starkly different from myself. This was also a dabble in nostalgia for me, because I became passionate about writing when I started to pen Harry Potter fan fiction when I was twelve or thirteen, and they were all awful! I wanted to have a HP piece I could go back and read with a little less cringe.


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